Meet the Leo behind The Leo Diamond®

Mr. Leo Shachter on the art of diamond cutting.

Have you ever cut a diamond yourself?

I may look to you like a distinguished gentleman who never got his hands dirty, but don't be deceived by the nice suit and the fancy photography. I am a diamond cutter, my father was a diamond cutter, and my children and grandchildren cut diamonds as well . The professional term is “diamontaire,” meaning a craftsman who specializes in selecting, cutting and polishing diamonds. Anyone can learn to cut a diamond, but only a handful possesses the skill and the eye it requires to cut the most beautiful and brilliant diamonds in the world.

There seems to be confusion about the term “diamond cut.” What does it really mean?

Frequently, you hear people use the term “diamond cut” to describe the shape of diamond , like princess cut diamonds or emerald cut diamonds. But that's not correct. When we talk about diamond cut as one of the 4Cs , it refers to the actual sculpting of a diamond from a piece of rough into a brilliant, finished stone. Diamond cut is actually the craftsmanship applied in sawing the diamond, cutting and placing each facet and polishing the stone. Every step in the process must be done with great precision, skill and artistry to produce the magic that transforms a piece of rough into a diamond of heirloom quality.

Why does diamond cut matter?

While the color and clarity of a diamond contribute to its beauty, the fire, sparkle and brilliance of the stone are what you react to most when you see a beautiful diamond. The diamond bursts with life and light. A master artisan cuts a diamond to make the best use of light, so that the stone refracts light and bounces it from facet to facet and returns that light back to your eyes when you look at it. A poorly cut stone will “leak” light out the bottom or sides, making for a less brilliant diamond. Anything short of a perfect cut – and by that I mean a diamond that is perfectly proportioned - results in a stone of inferior beauty and brilliance.

Can you explain more about the importance of proportion?

It's huge! Well proportioned diamonds reflect more light, which makes them appear whiter and brighter than poorly proportioned stones. A well cut diamond can actually look two or three color grades better than it actually is. A diamond in perfect proportion may also look better than other diamonds of higher clarity that are cut as well. So, you can see that the diamond cutter, if he's worth his salt (or her salt, my daughters will always remind me) has the power to maximize the beauty of a stone.

How is The Leo Diamond cut?

The Leo Diamond is a true innovation . It took us years and years of research to develop the faceting pattern that makes it so exceptional. Of course, it's not an easy diamond to cut. Only master artisans can achieve it proper proportions. The patented cut of the Leo Round Diamond delivers incomparable fire, sparkle and brilliance. It is measurably more brilliant than any other diamond of equal color and clarity , because the cut is better. The better the cut, the greater the value of the diamond.

Does a cut with more facets mean a more beautiful diamond?

People are led to believe that more facets equal more sparkle. Well, it's not true. There is no doubt that the job of diamond facets is to capture the maximum light and bounce it from facet to facet, then reflect it back to your eye as brilliantly as possible. But, the most important factor is the precision of the cutting and placing of facets. If the faceting pattern in not cut with perfect symmetry, then light is lost. The quality of the diamond itself – its color, clarity and cut – will have much more bearing on the beauty of the stone than the number of facets it has.

How important is technology versus artistry in cutting beautiful diamonds?

Technology is only a tool. If you put a great tool in the hands of an unskilled person would you expect a good result? On the other hand, state-of-the-art technology in the hands of a highly skilled and talented artist is enough to make even an old, make that elderly, man's heart skip a beat!